Coronavirus Qld: State’s latest case numbers revealed

Despite Queensland recording no new cases of coronavirus yet again, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk cannot say if the border will reopen by Christmas, with the interstate situation “evolving and changing”.

The State Government can’t yet say when Queensland’s borders will reopen to its southern neighbours, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk describing the situation interstate as “evolving and changing”.

Quizzed about whether the border to NSW could be opened before Christmas, Ms Palaszczuk said she could not make those decisions yet, and that it was “looking too far down”.

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“I know people want certainty, but we can’t give that certainty when the situation is currently evolving and changing,” she said.

“And as you are seeing, there are more hot spots being added in NSW.

“They’ve had cases in Newcastle. So that is something that we are monitoring.”

Ms Palaszczuk said she did not have a crystal ball and that the Government had to look as far to the future as it can.

“But I think what Queenslanders can sense (is) that they can go about their daily lives... which is not the case in other parts around the world,” she said.

The Premier toured a warehouse in her Inala electorate, where she announced the Government would be boosting Queensland’s supplies of personal protective equipment.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk flanked by Health Minister Steven Miles and Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young. Picture: Mark Cranitch

Tens of millions of pieces will be added to the stockpile, with the site at Inala to be expanded to increase the government’s storage capacity.

“The pandemic put pressure on stocks worldwide, but Queensland has managed exceptionally well,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“Now we will go further, to ensure Queensland always has enough PPE supplies, so our health workforce is protected no matter what happens next.”

Ms Palaszczuk said a lot of the equipment was sourced from overseas, but the government was now turning its attention to manufacturing in Queensland.

“There are some specifics that cannot be manufactured here – we know that,” she said.

“But we now have this fantastic stockpile.”

The expanded storage site will have the capacity to carry 180 million pieces of PPE – up from the 120 million pieces it is currently storing.

It came as the state recorded no new cases of coronavirus overnight.

Queensland has 900 days’ worth of gowns, with more equipment still to arrive.

Health Minister Steven Miles said Queensland already had one of the biggest stockpiles of mask before the pandemic.

He said the Government now had $110 million worth of stock, including $60 million at a new site in Inala which is currently being expanded.

It comes a day after an aged care facility on the Sunshine Coast was sent into lockdown as four residents awaited COVID-19 test results.

Immanuel Gardens Aged Care and Retirement Village at Buderim went into lockdown on Monday morning after residents, who live in the Terrace, began experiencing respiratory symptoms.

Three of those tested have returned negative results, with one person still awaiting their result.

Meanwhile, dozens of people are still being turned back at the Queensland border, over a week after the state line was closed to NSW and ACT residents.

Another 118 people were turned back at Gold Coast border checkpoints alone on Tuesday, after 123 were refused entry on Monday.

More than 600 were turned back over the long weekend.

Police say many of those being turned around don’t have proper border declaration passes or live south of the ‘border bubble’ covering the Gold Coast and Tweed Shire.

Queensland closed the border to NSW and Queensland on August 8.

Originally published as Coronavirus Qld: State’s latest case numbers revealed